Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Burns associated with wars and disasters

  • Chapter
Handbook of Burns

Abstract

Military operations and civilian mass casualty disasters provide among the most difficult scenarios in burn-patient management. At the same time, they historically have also led to changes in care. The purpose of this chapter is to review experience with burn care during current combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and to highlight the lessons learned from a century of major peacetime fire disasters.

The opinions or assertions contained herein are the private views of the authors, and are not to be construed as official or as reflecting the views of the Department of the Army or the Department of Defense.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 119.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Cancio LC, Horvath EE, Barillo DJ et al (2005) Burn support for Operation Iraqi Freedom and related operations, 2003–2004. J Burn Care Rehabil 26: 151–161

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Champion HR, Bellamy RF, Roberts CP, Leppaniemi A (2003) A profile of combat injury. J Trauma 54[Suppl]: S13–19

    Google Scholar 

  3. Chung KK, Blackbourne LH, Wolf SE et al (2006) Evolution of burn resuscitation in Operation Iraqi Freedom. J Burn Care Res 27: 606–611

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Thomas SJ, Kramer GC, Herndon DN (2003) Burns: military options and tactical solutions. J Trauma 54[Suppl]: S207–218

    Google Scholar 

  5. Kauvar DS, Wolf SE, Wade CE et al (2006) Burns sustained in combat explosions in Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF explosion burns). Burns 32: 853–857

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Kauvar DS, Cancio LC, Wolf SE et al (2006) Comparison of combat and non-combat burns from ongoing US military operations. J Surg Res 132: 195–200

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Black IH, McManus J (2009) Pain management in current combat operations. Prehosp Emerg Care 13: 223–227

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Tactical Combat Casualty Care Guidelines, November 2009, accessed from Military Health Systems website, http://www.health.mil/Education_And_Training/TCCC.aspx, 26 August 2010

    Google Scholar 

  9. Barillo DJ, Wolf SE (2006) Planning for burn disasters: lessons learned from one hundred years of history. J Burn Care Res 27: 622–634

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Allen BD, Whitson TC, Henjyoji EY (1970) Treatment of 1963 burned patients at 106th general hospital, Yokohama, Japan. J Trauma 10: 386–392

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Eldad A, Torem M (1990) Burns in the Lebanon War 1982: “the blow and the cure”. Mil Med 155: 130–132

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Voisine JJ, Albano JP (1996) Reduction and mitigation of thermal injuries: what can be done? Mil Med 161: 54–57

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Ennis JL, Chung KK, Renz EM et al (2008) Joint theater trauma system implementation of burn resuscitation guidelines improves outcomes in severely burned military casualties. J Trauma 64[Suppl]: S146–152

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Markell KW, Renz EM, White CE et al (2009) Abdominal complications after severe burns. J Am Coll Surg 208: 940–947

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Wolf SE, Kauvar DS, Wade CE et al (2006) Comparison between civilian burns and combat burns from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Ann Surg 243: 786–795

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Barillo DJ, Cancio LC, Hutton BG et al (2005) Combat burn life support: a military burn-education program. J Burn Care Rehabil 26: 162–165

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Chung KK, Salinas J, Renz EM et al (2010) Simple derivation of the initial fluid rate for the resuscitation of severely burned adult combat casualties: in silico validation of the rule of 10. J Trauma 69[Suppl]: S49–54

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. D’Avignon LC, Saffle JR, Chung KK, Cancio LC (2008) Prevention and management of infections associated with burns in combat casualty. J Trauma 64[Suppl]: S277–286

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Anonymous (1967–1972) Annual Research Progress Reports. Fort Sam Houston, TX: US Army Institute of Surgical Research

    Google Scholar 

  20. Grissom TE, Farmer JC (2005) The provision of sophisticated critical care beyond the hospital. Crit Care Med 33[Suppl]: S13–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Kirksey TD, Dowling JA, Pruitt BA Jr et al (1968) Safe expeditious transport of the seriously burned patient. Arch Surg 96: 790–794

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Treat RC, Sirinek KR, Levine BA et al (1980) Air evacuation of thermally injured patients: principles of treatment and results. J Trauma 20: 275–279

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Renz EM, Cancio LC, Barillo BJ et al (2008) Long range transport of war-related burn casualties. J Trauma 64[Suppl]: S136–145

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Chapman TT, Richard RL, Hedman TL et al (2008) Military return to duty and civilian return to work factors following burns with focus on the hand and literature review. J Burn Care Res 29: 756–762

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Lundy JB, Swift CB, McFarland CC et al (2010) A descriptive analysis of patients admitted to the intensive care unit of the 10th combat support hospital deployed in Ibn Sina, Iraq from October 19, 2005 to October 19, 2006. J Intensive Care Med 25: 156–162

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Smith D (1978) History of firefighting in America. Dial Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  27. Goodman EC (2001) Fire! The 100 most devastating fires and the heroes who fought them. Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers, New York

    Google Scholar 

  28. Follett GP (1943) The Boston fire: a challenge to our disaster service. Am J Nurs 43: 4–8

    Google Scholar 

  29. Cancio LC, Pruitt BA (2005) Management of mass casualty burn disasters. Int J Disaster Medicine 2005;1–16

    Google Scholar 

  30. Cowan D (2001) Great Chicago fires: historic blazes that shaped a city. Lake Claremont Press, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  31. Moulton RS (1962) The Cocoanut Grove fire. National Fire Protection Association, Boston

    Google Scholar 

  32. National Fire Protection Association (1990) Fire investigations: nursing home fire, Norfolk, VA, October 5, 1989. National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA

    Google Scholar 

  33. Klem TJ (1992) 25 die in food plant fire. NFPA J 86: 29–35

    Google Scholar 

  34. Finland M, Davidson CS, Levenson SM (1946) Clinical and therapeutic aspects of the conflagration injuries in the respiratory tract sustained by victims of the Cocoanut Grove disaster. Medicine 25: 215–283

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Schorow S (2005) The Cocoanut Grove fire. Commonwealth Editions, Beverly, MA

    Google Scholar 

  36. Kimball WY (1944) Hartford city holocaust. NFPA Q 1944;9–21

    Google Scholar 

  37. O’nan S (2000) The circus fire. Anchor Books, New York

    Google Scholar 

  38. Harrington DT, Biffl WL, Cioffi WG (2005) The Station nightclub fire. J Burn Care Rehabil 26: 141–143

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Mackie DP, Koning HM (1990) Fate of mass burn casualties: implications for disaster planning. Burns 16: 203–206

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Arturson G (1992) Analysis of severe fire disasters. In: Masselis M, Gunn SWA (eds) The management of mass burn casualties and fire disasters: Proceedings of the First International Conference on Burns and Fire Disasters. Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, pp 24–33

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  41. Pruitt BA Jr (2001) Aeromedical transport and field care of burn patients in disaster situations. In: Haberal MA, Bilgin N (eds) Burn and fire disaster in the Middle East. Haberal Education and Research Foundation, Ankara, Turkey, pp 229–243

    Google Scholar 

  42. ABA Board of Trustees (2005) Committee on Organization and Delivery of Burn Care. Disaster management and the ABA plan. J Burn Care Rehabil 26: 102–106

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Simon R, Teperman S (2001) The World Trade Center attack: lessons for disaster management. Crit Care 5: 318–320

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Asaeda F (2002) The day that the START triage system came to a stop: observations from the World Trade Center disaster. Acad Emerg Med 255–256

    Google Scholar 

  45. Bradt DA (2003) Site management of health issues in the 2001 World Trade Center disaster. Acad Emerg Med 10: 650–660

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Yurt RW, Bessey PQ, Bauer GJ et al (2005) A regional burn center’s response to a disaster: September 11, 2001, and the days beyond. J Burn Care Rehabil 26: 117–124

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2002) Rapid assessment of injuries among survivors of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center-New York City, September 2001. Morbid Mortal Wkly Rep 51: 1–5

    Google Scholar 

  48. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2002) Deaths in World Trade Center terrorist attacks-New York City, 2001. Morbid Mortal Wkly Rep 51: 16–18

    Google Scholar 

  49. Kennedy PJ, Haertsch PA, Maitz PK (2005) The Bali burn disaster: implications and lessons learned. J Burn Care Rehabil 26: 125–131

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. Arturson G (1987) The tragedy of San Juanico-the most severe LPG disaster in history. Burns 13: 87–102

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Arturson G (1981) The Los Alfaques disaster: a boiling liquid, expanding-vapour explosion. Burns 7: 233–251

    Article  Google Scholar 

  52. Ishida T, Ohta M, Sugimoto T (1985) The breakdown of an emergency system following a gas explosion in Osaka and the subsequent resolution of problems. J Emerg Med 2: 183–189

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. Buerk CA, Batdorf JW, Cammack KV, Ravenholt O (1982) The MGM Grand Hotel fire: lessons learned from a major disaster. Arch Surg 117: 641–644

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  54. Sharpe DT, Foo IT (1990) Management of burns in major disasters. Injury 21: 41–44

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  55. Wachtel TL, Dimick AR. Burn disaster management. In: Herndon DN (ed) Total burn care. WB Saunders, London, pp 19–31

    Google Scholar 

  56. Shirani KZ, Pruitt BA Jr, Mason AD Jr (1987) The influence of inhalation injury and pneumonia on burn mortatlity. Ann Surg 205: 82–87

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  57. Becker WK, Waymack JP, McManus AT et al (1990) Bashkirian train-gas pipeline disaster: the American military response. Burns 16: 325–328

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  58. Kuijper EC (2004) The 2003 Everett Idris Evans memorial lecture: every cloud has a silver lining. J Burn Care Rehabil 24: 45–53

    Article  Google Scholar 

  59. Cushman JG, Pachter HL, Beaton HL (2003) Two New York City hospitals’ surgical response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack in New York City. J Trauma 54: 147–154

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  60. American Burn Association website, http://www.ameriburn.org/, accessed 26 August 2010

    Google Scholar 

  61. Underhill FP (1930) The significance of anhydremia in extensive superficial burns. JAMA 95: 852–857

    Article  Google Scholar 

  62. Mayhew ER (2004) The reconstruction of warriors: Archibald McIndoe, the Royal Air Force and the Guinea Pig Club. Greenhill Books, London

    Google Scholar 

  63. Lockwood JS (1946) War-time activities of the National Research Council and the Committee on Medical Research; with particular reference to team-work on studies of wounds and burns. Ann Surg 124: 314–327

    Article  Google Scholar 

  64. Cope O, Moore FD (1947) The redistribution of body water and the fluid therapy of the burned patient. Ann Surg 126: 1010–1045

    Article  Google Scholar 

  65. Saffle JR (1993) The 1942 fire at Boston’s Cocoanut Grove nightclub. Am J Surg 166: 581–591

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  66. Artz CP (1969) Burns in my lifetime. J Trauma 9: 827–833

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  67. Moreau AR, Westfall PH, Cancio LC, Mason AD Jr (2005) Development and validation of an age-risk score for mortality prediction after thermal injury. J Trauma 58: 967–972

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  68. Pruitt BA Jr, O’Neill JA Jr, Moncrief JA, Lindberg RB (1968) Successful control of burn-wound sepsis. JAMA 203: 1054–1056

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  69. Wilmore DW, Curreri PW, Spitzer KW et al (1971) Supranormal dietary intake in thermally injured hypermetabolic patients. Surg Gynecol Obstet 132: 881–886

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  70. Shirani KZ, Becker WK, Rue LW et al (1992) Burn care during Operation Desert Storm. J UW Army Medical Dept PB 8-92-1/2: 37–39

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. US Army Institute of Surgical Research, Fort Sam Houston, 78234, Texas, USA

    Jonathan B. Lundy M.D. & Leopoldo C. Cancio

Authors
  1. Jonathan B. Lundy M.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Leopoldo C. Cancio
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jonathan B. Lundy M.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery, University of Toronto, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Marc G. Jeschke M.D., Ph.D.

  2. Plastische, Aesthetische und Rekonstruktive Chirurgie, Landesklinikum Wiener Neustadt, Wiener Neustadt, Austria

    Lars-Peter Kamolz M.D., M.Sc.

  3. Department of Hand and Plastic Surgery and Intensive Care, Linköping University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden

    Folke Sjöberg M.D., Ph.D.

  4. Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden

    Folke Sjöberg M.D., Ph.D.

  5. Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, TX, USA

    Steven E. Wolf M.D.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2012 Springer-Verlag/Wien

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Lundy, J.B., Cancio, L.C. (2012). Burns associated with wars and disasters. In: Jeschke, M.G., Kamolz, LP., Sjöberg, F., Wolf, S.E. (eds) Handbook of Burns. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-0348-7_4

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-0348-7_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Vienna

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-7091-0347-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-7091-0348-7

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation